Adhesive tape dispenser and applier



Sept. 17, 1946. A. A. ANDERSON ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER AND'APPLIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1945 Sept. 17, 1946. A. A. ANDERSON ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 10. 1945 Sept-17,1946 A. A. ANDERSON 2,407,641

-ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLIER Filed Jan. 10,1945 4 Sheets-Sheet s I Attorrz Sept. 17, 1946. I A. A. ANDERSON I 2,407,541

ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLIER Filed Jah. 10, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' UNITED Patented Sept. 17, 1946 'ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLIER Application January 10, 1945, Serial No. 572,223

STATES PATENT OFFIQE This invention relates to an object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier which utilizes the driving power of the moving objects to which the tape is applied for operating the dispensing mechanism. Each operation of the applier results in the automatic positioning of a piece of tape ready for application to the next object.

The preferred embodiments utilized the cutter wheel type of tape dispenser broadly described and claimed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 400,143, filed June 27, 1941; and employ an improved means for rendering the cylindrical anvil resiliently yieldable. The said application describes an automatic tape dispenser and applier combination which was broadly claimed in my divisional application Ser. No. 516,717, since issued as Patent No. 2,363,277 on November 21, 1944. The combination therein specifically illustrated and described is powered by an electric motor. The present device does not require a motorsince it is mechanically driven by the objects to which the tape is applied, and in consequence is cheaper to manufacture and to operate, and can be used in places where electric power is not available.

An object-powered pressure-sensitive tape dispenser and applier is described in Reissue Patent Re. 22,418, granted on January 11, 1944, in which the power supplied by the moving object is utilized to load a spring whichthus stores up power during the applying operation, and this is subsequently released and utilized to drive the dispensing mechanism. In contrast, the present invention does not utilize a spring drive for withdrawing'the tape from the supply roll, but employs a direct power transmission so as to cause tape to be withdrawn from its roll and advanced during the application of a previously severed piece of tape to the object and while such object is in motion. The present arrangement has a number of advantages.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention include means forfeeding a piece of tape Claims. (Cl. 216-429) ing applier movable in response to the movement 2 v between the feeding means and the applier, whereby the object-impelled applying stroke of the applier performs the heavy work of feeding (withdrawing and cutting) while the lighter task of positioning the severed tape is done later by a spring-impelled return stroke of the applier. This permits the final positioning of a succeeding piece of tape to be delayed until the preceding object is clear of the machine and at the same time keeps the main load from being thrown onto a spring. v

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments, the scope of the invention being set forth in the claims.

The specificmachine that is described and illustrated in the following description and drawings as illustrative of my invention, is a portable manually operated automatic pressure-sensitiveadhesive tape dispenser and applier, particularly suited for use in stores, shipping rooms, factories,

etc., for the rapid taping, sealing and/or labeling of the edges of boxes, bags, packages, and other objects.

In the accompanying drawings and description, the end of the machine at which the operator stands when facing the machine to operate it is called the front, and the terms right and left are from the point of view of such operator.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front, left and top of the machine with the upper portion of the casing removed, its normal position being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a plan view with the upper portion of the casing removed.

Figure 3 is a left side elevation with the'left side of the casing removed, showing the position of the parts when tape is ready tobe applied to an object.

Figure 3a is a radial cross-section of the cutterwheel inthe position which it occupies in Figure 3.

Figure 4 isa left side elevation with the tape supply holding drum and the left side of thel casing removed, showing the position of the parts immediately after tape has been applied to an 7 side of the casing removed.

Figure 9 is a radial axial section of the anvil roller taken on the line 99 in Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a radial cross-section of the anvil roller taken on the lines Il0 in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a radial cross-section through the cutter wheel shaft taken on the lines lll I in Figure 6 with the gear 52 removed.

Figure 12 shows two machines with their tops facing each other in position to tape an object on two edges at one stroke.

Figure 13 is a perspective viewof the under side of a box to which pieces of tape have been applied about its lower edges bya machine embodying the present invention."

A casing 2 I, having a hinged upper portion2 la,

encloses the working parts and it also serves to support them by means of rigid shafts 22 which extend from side to side of the casing" andsupport the machine frame 23. l

A tape rollholder drum 24 is rotatably mounted at the, rear of the frame23 for holdinga supply roll R of normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive tape T, such as that sold under the trade-mark Scotch. r

- In the present embodiment, th tape is withdrawn from the supply roll and advanced towards the applying position byreason of its temporary adherence to a series of tape-gripping surfaces or grippers which are carried by the rotatably mounted draft wheel 25; and it is severed by a series of cutting edges ac, which are also carried by the wheel, when the tape is pressed between one of the edges and an anvil member 26 that is located adjacent the wheel.

-A plurality of shafts 2'! (there are four in the present embodiment spaced 90 apart) are journaled in the wheels peripheral portion parallel with the wheel's axis. cutter-gripper unit 28, each unit holding a blade 29 having a cutting edge :1; and a tape-gripping surface a, and each unit being shaped to form a second tape-gripping surface I) in line with a.

The grippers a and b releasably hold the tape by adhesive contact.

The tension on the tape as it is being withdrawn from the supply roll R by the pull of the wheel 25 may cause it to press against the tapegripping surfaces It and b sufficiently to attain the desired degree of adherence thereto, but if completely so that they join or combine to form' one continuous surface; and still further adhesion will result fromfmakingsuch a combined surface slightly convex.

To each shaft is fixed a This maybe done even to further turning.

On the left or outer end of each cutter-gripper shaft .21 is fixed a cam 3| by which the cuttergripperu'nits are turned (in a manner hereinafter described) from cutting to dispensing posimeans against the right face of the wheel 25. The unit-carrying shafts 2'! are made to extend slightly beyond the said right face of the wheel 25, and the fingers 33a press against the ends of the shafts and thus serve as a braking means to prevent inadvertent turning of the shafts and units (such as might be caused by the weight of a unit 28) after the cams have turned the unit to a desired position, e. g., to dispensing position. By dispensing position is meant the position occupied by a unit when it is turned so as to serve as a projecting means, holdingand positioning a severed piece of tape outwardly from the wheel (like the unit which holds the piece Tl in Figure 3a). By cutting position is meant the position occupied by a unit when its edge as will, upon being turned past th anvil 26, contact the anvil so as to sever the tape (like all the units in Figure 3a except the unit holding the piece Tl).

The anvil member or roller 26 is journaled on a shaft 35 which is fixed tothe frame 23 forwardly of the wheel 25. The shaft is fixed at such an angle that the cutting edges 2: contact the roller 26 point by point along their length as the wheel 25 turns them successively past it. The

of the roller 26 with respect to the wheel 25. The

roller 26 is preferably positioned at the most rearward point to which it is required to be during a cutting operation. Either end of the shaft 35-3504 may be suitably shaped or slotted so as to permit turning the shaft by a wrench, screw driver, etc., to a desired position, whereupon set screws 42 may be employed to'fix it against 36 which forms the working surface of the roller, a second sleeve 31 of resilient material, such as rubber, within the sleeve 36 and concentric therewith, and a flanged shaft 38 on which the sleeves are fixed, the outer or left hand flange 39 being removable to permit mounting and dismounting the sleeves 36 and 31 for replacement and/or resurfacing. The flange may be held by threaded engagement with the shaft 38 and locked with a lock nut 40. 'The shaft 38 is axially bored to permit it to be journaled on the fixed shaft 35 where it may be held in place by a suitable'cotter pin 4|. The inner or cushion sleeve 31 is preferably sufiiciently yieldable to permit the outer tape so as to cut it. Thus the sleeve 36 is normally concentric with the entire roller assembly 26, but eccentric with respect thereto during a cutting operation. 7

,To the ,rear of the draft-cutter-feed wheel 25,

anarm 44 is fixedat its lower end to a shaft 45 that is journaled in the frame;23.' The free end of the arm carries'a Dresser in the form of a sealing roller 46 rotatably mounted thereon, and may be curved or otherwise suitably shaped to enable it to clear the object being sealed as the "latter impels the arm through its trearwar d or nome-4 1;

initial stroke a. suitable stop; such as the" rib 23a. of the frame 23-: maybe provided so as to halt the forward. swing of: the. arm. 44 at such a point. that the sealing: roller 46, or at least the over the presser 46., spring means (hereinafter described)- returns thearm and presser to their normal-positions, through: what is termed herein their return stroke or return movement.

The: object-powered impulse of the applying stroke is transmitted to the: wheel 25 through suitable gears 50, 5| and 52. A one-way clutch means (hereinafter described) in the head of the frame connecting the gear 52 and the wheel 25, permits rotation of thewheel 25 n1y in a counter clockwise (Figures: 3 and 5) direction, the gear 52 idling when turning in the other direction during the return stroke of the arm 44-. The arm is; returned and the entire mechanism reset by the reset spring 53 which impels the gear 5| counter-clockwise (Figures 5 and 6).

Referring to'Figures 5' and 6, the said one-way clutch means comprises a ratchet wheel 55 that is. journaled within the gear 52 and fixed on a projecting, portion of. the hub 25a of the dispensing wheel 25. Four notches55ar (one for each unit 28) occur 90 apart in the periphery of the ratchet wheel. 55. A ratchet pin 56 is rotatably held in asuitable bore in the gear 52 parallel to the common axis of. the wheels 25-, 55 and 52. The pin 56' is located. so that a portion of its cylindrical side. surface would project inwardly beyond the inner. surface of the gear 5-2 but the side of. the pin is flattened (560.) along its full length so that it does notnormally so project. The opposite side of the pin 56 is also flattened or notched for a portion oflit's. lengthto receive a leaf spring 5T which impels the pin to rotate counter-clockwise (Figure 5). so that when opposite a notch 55a,,the pin turns. sufii'ciently. to project therein and drive the, ratchet wheel55 by wedging against the side of the notch whenever the gear 52 turns counter-clockwise (Figure. 5),. but when the gear turns clockwise the opposite slope of the notch engages the slanting flattened side 56a of the pin and. turns it back against the spring 51 to normal; whereupon. the ratchet wheel 55 is unmoved.

Back lash or reverse turning of the wheel 25 isprevented by a self-setting. brake which comprisesa wheel 58" eccentrically fixed on a rotatable shaft 58a adjacent the wheel 25 (Figures 3 and 4). The brakewheel 58' is impelled by a spring 59't0 rotate. counter-clockwise until it touches the wheel 25, so that the peripheries of the two wheels are always in contact. By reason of the eccentric location of the wheel 58 on its shaft 582;, a clockwiseturning impulse of the wheel 25 causes the two wheels to wedge or jam and any reverse or clockwise. turning of the wheel 25 is thus. prevented.

The wheel 25- with. its ratchet-carrying hub portion 25a, is journaled. on the fixed shaft 66 which in turn, is bored to: receive an inner shaft 6|: journaled therein. On the left end of the shaft 6|. isafixeda an. arm 62; which holds the cam pin 63. The: rearward: movement ofv the sealing roller arm 44" (i. e'., the: applying stroke: in a sealing operation) is transmitted through its shaft- 45, the arm 64, the: shaft65, the arm 66 and the shaft 6| (Figure. 8') toturn the arm' 62 from its normal cam-tripping position (shown in Figure 3') to itsopen position. (shown inFigureA) Upon the return stroke of the arm 44 the movementis reversed, during which the pin6'3' strikesthe cam 31 of the unit 28 thenat the dispensing station, thereby raising the unit from cutting to dispensiing position. Alternatively, the pin 63 may be rendered fixed by removing the: arm 65 and setting the set-screw 6T, whichv will cause the units 28' as they approach the dispensing. station to be turned up during the applying stroke; of the arm 44 and thus position the succeeding piece o'f'tap'e in response to the. arms. applying stroke without. waiting for the return. stroke.

A. plate 63', suitably fixed to the fixed shaft' a.

l8 and. 60; as' by nuts 6.9. and T0,.holds a. cam pin E! on its inner face in position to strike the cams- 3! as they pass, and turnthe units 28 from dispensing to cutting position. An are: shaped slot fifiwi's provided in the plate 58 so asto accommodate the pin 6-3 and permit it to extend from the inner face of the oscillating arm 62: through the plate 58; to cam engaging position;

Mode of operation An object suchas the box: B to' be. sealed or taped in the manner shown in' Figure 13%, is propelled across the top 2-lbof the casing 21 from front (Figure 3) to back (Figure: 4-). When the adhesive ide of the piece of pressure-sensitive adhesiv tape. T--i, held in. applying: position.

(thrust upwardly throughthe opening. in. the

casing top in the path of the box) by a unit 28,.

is contacted by the leading. faceof the advancing box and thereby pressed against the upper sealing roller 46, the piece adheres to the box and is thereby removed from the unit 28 where it had been held by temporary adhesive contact therewith. As the box continues to advance against the roller 46 the latter swing back on its pivoted arm. 44 to ride upwardly along the. face of the box and then downwardly around the leading, lower corner of the box whereupon the roller stops and the box moves on across it (Figure 4) thus pressi the: piece T- l. against. both the leading and bottom surfaces of the box. In the present embodiment a second or lower sealing roller 61: also" presses the tape against the bottom.

surface of the box.

The said rearward swing" of. the power arm 44 about the axis of its shaft 45 through. what is termed. herein its rearward or applying stroke or movement, is caused or produced by the pressure against the roller 46 of the advancing box B, and this irnpuse' is transmitted through the. gears 55 and 5lto rotate the gear 52 through at least of turn counter-clockwise (Figure 5). The cylindrical ratchet pin 56 that is carried by the gear 52 projects into the notch 55a of the ratchet wheel 55 so that. the latter is impelled thereby to rotate: in unison with the gear 52 to the end of the. latters turn. Since the said turn is at least 90, the pin will. have traveled from its three oclock position (Figure5) to a twelve oclock position, and the next succeeding ratchet notch 55a will be brought up to the three oclock position sufficiently far to be engaged by'the pin 56 at the beginning of th next turn After the sealed box B has passed beyond the. roller 4.6,. the arm 44;. impelled. by the spring; 5%

the gear to the gear '52 and rotates or turns the latter at least 90 clockwise (Figure 5). When the ratchet pin 56 leaves its twelv oclock position at the beginning of this .turn, the contact of its flattened side 56a against the slope of the notch 55a, causes the pin 56 to turn or roll until the pin clears the ratchet wheel 55. The latter therefore remains motionless and since the notches 55a are 90 apart and the gear 52 turns at least 90, the pin 56 will be opposite a notch when it stops at its three o'clock position (Figure 5) whereupon the leaf spring 51 will rotate the pin enough to make it project into the notch in readiness for the next dispensing cycle.

The above described counter-clockwise (Figure 5) rotation of the ratchet wheel 55 turns the dispensing wheel 25 in unison with it, whereupon wheel 25 withdraws the tape T from the supply r011 R by reason of the tapes temporary adherence to the tape-gripping surfaces a and b that are spaced around the wheels peripheral portion, and severs the tape into lengths by pressing it between the cutting edge a: that is on a unit 28 and the anvil roller 26, with the severed portion (such as T-2) held by the surfaces a and b of the unit next in advance of the one that cut it. Meanwhile the object-powered applying stroke of the arm 44 (which impels the wheel 25 as above described) has transmitted its motion through the shaft 45, the arms 64, 65, 66 and the shaft 6| to turn the pin-holding arm 62 downwardly so that the pin 63 will miss the cam 3|. This permits the unit 28 that holds the cut piece T2 to remain in cutting position clear to the end of the 90 of turn, at which time the piec T2 has arrived at the dispensing station and the arm 44 has finished its initial or applying stroke. Upon its return stroke, the arm 44, again acting through the shaft 45, the arms 64, 65, 66 and the shaft 6|, turnsfthe pin-holding arm 62 upwardly, during which movement the pin 63 strike the cam 3| and raises the unit 28 from cutting to dispensing position whereby the piece is thrust out in applying position (as illustrated by the piece TI in Figures 1 and 3) At the beginning of the succeeding cycle the unit 28 is returned from dispensing to cutting position by reason of its cam 3l striking the pin H as the wheel 25 turns.

Thus the force of the movin object B is employed to effect withdrawal and severing of the tape, while the spring means 53 is called upon to perform only the lighter tasks of returning the arm 44 and. other parts to normal position and of rotating the units 28. In other words, tape withdrawal and severance is powered by the object-impelled applying stroke of the sealing arm; tape positioning and machine resetting is powered by the spring-impelled return stroke of the sealing arm, the spring bein loaded each the pin 63 in the manner illustrated) insures against thrusting a cut piece of tape up into the path of an object being sealed until the preceding object is .clear of the machine, a feature,

that is of particular advantage when sealing objeots of great length. 7

The object being sealed may be propelled or pushed across the top Zlb by hand or otherwise, an objective of the present invention beingto power an automatic sealingmachine solely by the movement of the object being sealed regardless of how the object is moved. 6

Two machines may be placed near together (on their sides or ends or otherwise positioned) with theirtops 2Ib facing each other, as shown in Figure 12, or in an angular relation to each other, to permit objects that are passed between them to be sealed on two different edges at one 1. In an object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier, means for withdrawing tape from a roll and advancing it towards the applying position, means for severing the tape prior to application, and means responsive to motion of an object to which tape is being applied for directly transmitting power furnished by the moving object to the said tape withdrawing and advancing means while such object is in motion.

2. In an object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier, feeding means for withdrawing tape from a roll and severing it into pieces prior to application, and means responsive to motion of an object to which tape is being applied for directly transmitting power furnished by the moving object to the said feed-' ing means while such object is in motion.

3. In an object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier, mechanism for withdrawing pressure-sensitive .adhesive tape from a roll and advancing it towards a prede termined position,'means for severing thetape prior to application, means for positioning a severed piece of the tape ready for engagement by an object upon movement of the latter toward and against the tacky side of the positioned piece of tape, means for applying the positioned piece of tape to the object including a movable presser normally disposed at the back of the piece'of tape and adapted to be moved by the object when the latter is moved against the piece'of tape and presser, means for restoring the presser to normal position following application of the piece of tape to the object, and mechanical driving means driven by the object-impelled applying movement of said movable presser for directly driving said mechanism for withdrawing and ad-,'

vanoing the tape while such object is in motion;

4. An automatic object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier comprising a feeding mechanism for withdrawing pressure-sensitive adhesive tape from a roll and severing it into pieces, a positioning mechanism for positioning the severed pieces successively into a predetermined applyingposition ready for engagement by an object upon movement of the latter toward and against the tackvsideof a positioned piece of tape, means for applying the positioned piece of tape to the object including a movable presser normally disposed at the back of the piece of tape and adapted to be moved by the object when the latter is moved against the piece of tape and presser, spring means for restoring the presser to normal position following application of the piece of tape to the object, mechanical driving means driven by the objectimpelled applying movement of the movable presser for directly driving the said feeding mechanism, and mechanical driving means driven by the spring-impelled return movement of the movable presser for driving the said positioning mechanism, to automatically supply a further piece of tape in applying position following application of the preceding piece of tape.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the movable presser is a roller rotatably mounted on a pivoted arm.

6. An automatic object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier comprising a feeding mechanism for withdrawing pressure-sensitive adhesive tape from a roll and severing it into pieces, means for placing the pieces successively into a predetermined applying position ready for engagement by an object upon movement of the latter toward and against the tacky side of a positioned piece of tape, means for applying the positioned piece of tape to the object including a movable presse normally disposed at the back of the piece of tape and adapted to be moved by the object when the latter is moved against the piece of tape and presser, means for restoring the presser to normal position following the application of the piece of tape to the object, and mechanical driving means driven by the object-impelled applying movement of the movable presser for directly'driving the said feeding mechanism while the object is in motion.

7. An automatic object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier comprising dispensing means for supplying successive pieces of adhesive tape into a predetermined position to be engaged by an object upon movement of the latter th'ereagainst, a swinging presser for applying a piece of tape to the object in response to the said movement, gears connected so as to be oscillated by the movements of the presser, and one-way clutch means between the gears and the tape dispensing means whereby the applying movement of the presser produces a further operation of the dispensing means to automatically position a further piece of tape.

8. An automatic object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier comprising a feeding mechanism for withdrawing and severing lengths of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape from a roll, a positioning mechanism for placing the severed lengths successively into a predetermined applying position ready for engagement by an object upon movement of the latter toward and against the tacky side of a positioned piece of tape, a presser roll normally disposed at the back of the positioned piece of tape to apply it to the object and adapted to be moved by the object when the latter is moved against the piece of tape and the roll, a swinging pivoted arm on which the roll is rotatably mounted, gears associated with the arm so as to be oscillated thereby, one-way clutch means connecting the gears and the tape feeding mechanism whereby the object-impelled applying stroke of the arm drives the feeding mechanism to withdraw and sever a further piece of tape, spring means for returning the arm to normal position and means associated with the tape positioning mechanism and the arm whereby the return stroke of the arm drives the positioning mechanism to position the said further piece of tape.

9. An automatic object-powered pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser and applier comprising means for holding a supply of tape, a feedin wheel adapted to withdraw tape from the supply upon rotation of the wheel with tape trained around it, means for severing the tape into lengths upon rotation of the wheel, at least one rotatable tape-gripping unit adapted to hold a severed piece, means for turning such. unit on its axis to thrust the severed length outwardly into a predetermined applying position ready for engagement by an object upon movement of the latter toward and against the tacky side of the positioned piece of tape, a presser roll normally disposed at the back of the positioned piece to apply it to the object and adapted to be moved by the object when the latter is moved against the piece of tape and the roll, an oscillating pivoted arm on which the roll is rotatably mounted, gears associated with the arm so as to be oscillated thereby, one-way clutch means connecting the gears and the feeding wheel whereby the object-impelled applying stroke of the arm drives the feeding wheel to withdraw and sever a further piece of tape, spring means for returning the arm to normal position and means associated with the unit-turning means and the arm whereby the return stroke of the arm turns the unit which holds the said further piece of tape so as to place the piece in applying position.

10. In a tape dispenser which comprise a wheel having cutting edges around its peripheral portion that sever the tape trained around the wheel when they are pressed against an anvil roller, an anvil roller comprising a surface sleeve, a core and a resilient inner sleeve therebetween sufiiciently yieldable to permit the surface sleeve to complement the thrust of a cutting edge and sufiiciently resilient and resistant to permit the surface sleeve to function as an anvil against which a cutting edge may press the tape to cut it.

ARTHUR A. ANDERSON. 

